Peanut harvester



Sept. 29, 1942.

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PEANUT HARVESTER Filed Aug. 8, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

aarzzmgmzem A'ITD R N EYE Patented Sept. 29, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rmnu 'r fit 'ns'ma I mxi z srxzz', :3 21 326,043 (CL 55-9) Claims.

My invention relates to agricultural machinery, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved peanut harvester.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a tractor illustrating my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the conveyor mechanism;

Figure 3 is a view taken along the line 88 of Figure 2; 1

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of the transmission system for the conveyor mechanism;

Figure 5 is a sectional detail view of one of the conveyor tensioning devices;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the greater portion of two peanut elevators which transfer the peanuts from the conveyor mechanism of Figure2 into the dump hopper of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the elevator;

Figure 8 is a view taken from the position indicated by line 8-8 of Figure 7, which illustrates a pivotal connection between the dump hopper and the draw bar attached to the rear axle housing of the tractor;

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 9-8 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view along the line ill-i8 of Figure "I; a

Figure 11 is a front elevational view of one of the tractor rigs to which the forward end of taken splined to the drive shaft 64 \with as a unit one unit of the conveyor mechanism is connected for support; and

Figure 12 is a detail view illustrating a trip latch for the dump door of the hopper.

In the embodiment selected for illustration, 1'

make use of a John Deere tractor l0, this tractor being provided with a rig l2 to which cultivating tools are attached. One such rig is located upon each side of the tractor at its forward end in the rear of the front wheels thereof. Only one such rig is illustrated in Figures 1 and 11, but the rigs are identical in construction and operation so that the illustration of one will suffice. In Figures land 11, the rig includes a horizontal supporting bar l4 attached at one end to the tractor frame l6. Brace bars l8 connect the outer end of the horizontal bar i4 with the frame member 28 of the tractor to afford support for the bar as well as the rig load effective thereon.

Between the rear wheels the tractor is located 'the conveyor mechanism 24. Referring to Figure 2, the conveyor mechanism 24" comprises two veyor units 26, these units construction and operation the conveyor mechanism 24 rearwardly units '26 lie in a common plane.

Eachconveyor unit 28 comprises two angles being identical in Figurel illustrates as being inclined 22 and underneath spaced and parallel 'conof the tractor Iii, and the conveyor 7 28 fixedly interconnected by yokes 30. The forward yokes 88 of the two conveyor units are connected with beams 82 each beam having its upper end bolted at 34 to the member 36 of the rig l2. In advance of each conveyor unit 26 is positioned a plow 38 carried by a plow beam 40 securedto the square shaft 42 of the rig l2. The plow 38 is in the nature of'a horizontal blade.

Referring to Figure 2, the description will be directed to the upper conveyor unit 26. Each of the angles 28 is provided with brackets 44 at its ends, each bracket rotatably supporting a sprocket 46. A conveyor chain 48 passes around the sprockets 48 of one of the angles 28 while a conveyor chain 50 passes around the sprockets 48 associated with the other angle. The two chains 48 and 58 lie in a common plane, and the brackets 44 are adjustably connected with their respective angles 28 through the medium of bolts 82 extending through slots 54 in the angles.

In Figures 2 and 4, the rear sprockets 46 are driven by bevel gears 66 rotatably supported by bearings 58 interconnected in pairs by yokes 60 provided with bearings 62 mounted on a drive shaft 64. Each pair of gears 56 is driven by bevel gears 66, connected as a unit and supported in the bearings 82, each unit of gears 66 being for rotation therebut adjustable longitudinally of the shaft so that the conveyor units 26 may be adjusted relatively to each other in a horizontal plane in conformity with the spacing of the peanut rows being harvested.

While the rear ends of the conveyor units 66 are floatingly mounted on the shaft 64, the forward ends of the conveyor units may be adjusted longitudinally of their respective bars 42 to properly align the conveyor units with the rows being harvested; The plow beams 48 are also shiftable longitudinally of the bars 42.

Upon the shaft 46 and intermediate its ends is mounted a gear transmission unit 68 driven through the medium of a sprocket I0 and a chain 12 passing about a sprocket 14 keyed to the power take-oi? shaft 16 of the tractor. Four supporting bars 18 are bolted to the rear axle housing 88 and support the shaft 64. Both conveyor units 26 are driven at the same speed, and the straight inside runs of the chains 58 are yieldfor holding the latter in pressure engagementwith the chains 48, the inside straight runs of the latter chains being restrained from lateral deflection by reason of the outside angles 28.

Both chains 50 at their forward ends are pro vided with angular runs 90 which facilitate entry of the vines between the two coacting chains;

The vinesare eifecti vely held in position between the straight runs of the conveyor chains by reason of the spring .tension eifectivethereon.

. The ,vines discharging from the rear ends of the conveyor units 26 are disposed on two elevators 92 for delivery into a dump hopper 94.

. In-Figures 6, 7 and 10, each elevator'92 comprises two bars 95 connected at their lower ends with a crank shaft 96 rotatably journaled in bearings 98 latch bar I84 pivoted at I86 and arranged to drop behind a hook I88 secured tothe side wall of the dump hopper. A pull line I 90 is connected with the latch pin I84 and passes over grooved wheels I92 and is tied to the seat I94 of the tractor so as tobe within easy reach of the operator. The bottom of the hopper declines rearwardly so as to dump the contents therein when the carried by arms I00 bolted to a frame I02, the

latter being supported at its lower end through the medium of bars I04 secured at their upper ends to the supporting bars 18. The upper endof the frame I02 is supported on the dump hopper 94. ;Each'upper end of the bars 95 is connected door I 80 is unlatched.

The bent-bars II4 carry bars I96 which parallel the bars 95. Toothed bars I98 are secured to the bars I96 and .operate to hold the vines against downward movement as the bars 95 oscillate downwardly of the vines on their return with the dump hopper 94 through the medium of links I06 so that the bars may be oscillated through rotation of the crank shafts 96. The bars 95 each comprise two metallic flanges I08 having teeth IIO so inclined as to elevate the material into the hopper through reciprocation of the bars. Each pair of bars 95 is located b etween two side boards II2 bolted to the frame I02, this frame having bent bars II4 secured thereto and underlying the bars 95. The upper end of the frame I02 issecured to the dump hopper 94, and the side boards -I I2 are widened at II8 adjacent the dump hoppe Means for imparting rotation to the crank shafts 96 comprises a shaft I20 supported in bearings I22 formed on the arms I00. Each crank shaft 96 is provided with a sprocket I24 connected with a chain I26 passing about a sprocket I28 keyed to the shaft I20.

A sprocket I30 is keyed to one end of the shaft 1 I20 for connection with a chain I32 passin'g arounda sprocket. I34 keyed to a shaft I36 rotatably journaled in one of the bars 18 and in a bar I38 bolted to that member. A gear I40 on the shaft I36 is in mesh with a gear I42 keyed to a shaft in rotatably journaled in the bar I38 and its respective bar I8. To the shaft Y I44 is keyed a sprocket I46 for connection with a chain I48 passing around a sprocket I50 keyed to the shaft 64.

One end of a draw bar I52 is bolted to the rear transmission housing 80 and the other end stroke preparatory to repeated engagement withthe vines'on their advancing stroke.

I provide a peanut harvester so designed as to be readily associated with a conventional tractor of the type described. Such tractors are provided 'with power lifts for-controlling the rigs I 2." The plows or ,blades 38 effectively loosen the earth formation so that thevines are easily picked up by the conveyor units 26. The vinesdrop upon the elevators 92 and are delivered to the dump hopper '94. Thus the vines may be dumped at predetermined intervals so as to be conveniently bunched for removal and separation of the peanuts . by said rigs, plows supported on said rigs in advance of the respective conveyors, the rear ends of said conveyors being floatingly supported on said second shaft, operating connections between said second shaftand said conveyors, a dump hopper connected with the tractor rearwardly of 6 said conveyors, and elevators located between said of the bar is provided with a plate I54 lying against the front wall I56 of'the dump hopper 94. This wall is provided with curved slots I58- for the reception of rollers I60 mounted on bolts I62 passing through the plate I54 and a plate I64 lying against the inner side of the wall I56.

To each end of the dump hopper 94 is secured a supporting wheel I66. Each wheel is connected with an upstanding shank I68 slidable in the end walls I10 of a casting I12 bolted at I14 to one end wall of the dump hopper. A

compression spring I16 is interposed between one of the end walls I10 and a flange I18 keyed to each of ,the shanks so that the dump hopper 94 is resiliently mounted. Because of the slots in in the wall I56, the dump hopper 94 may.

pivot about the axis of the draw bar I50, as when the two wheels I66 are passing over irregular ground.

The rear wall I80 of the dump hopper 94 is pivoted at I82 to the upper part of the. wall structure of the hopper and is held closed by a conveyors and the dumphopper and operatively connected with said second shaft.

2. The invention described in claim 1 wherein each of the endless conveyors comprises traveling chains, and in which means are,provided for tensioning one chain in each endless conveyor;

against the other chainof that conveyor.

3. The invention described in claim 1 wherein each of said endless conveyors comprises two traveling chains and in which said operating connections are splined to said second shaft for rotation therewith as a unit but slidable longitudinally on the shaft. v

4. The invention described in claim 1 wherein a draw beam is connected at one end with the tractor and at'its other end with said dump hopper, and in :which means areprovided for connecting the dump hopper with said beam for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the beam.

'5. The invention described in claim 1 wherein said hopper is provided with resiliently mounted supporting wheels, and in which the hopper is provided with an inclined floor and a pivoted door for releasing the contents of the hopper.

CARLTON G. MCLENDON.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will 

